


A Lot To Be Thankful For

by My_Alter_Ego



Series: Holidays [1]
Category: White Collar
Genre: A Thanksgiving Story During the Pandemic, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:35:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27697718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/My_Alter_Ego/pseuds/My_Alter_Ego
Summary: An altercation at the grocery checkout line makes June angry and she finds she needs to vent. Of course, Neal is her patient listener.
Relationships: Neal Caffrey & June Ellington
Series: Holidays [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2025623
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	A Lot To Be Thankful For

June was having breakfast with Neal in the solarium when she asked him a favor. “Neal, Darling, would you have some free time today to accompany me to the gourmet butcher shop downtown? I’d like to purchase the Thanksgiving bird today.”

“Don’t you usually have everything delivered?” Neal asked.

“Usually I do, but picking out the bird is sort of an old fashioned tradition for me. Byron and I always went together to purchase it, and I miss that silly old pleasure. So, perhaps you could stand in for my late husband.”

“Of course,” Neal readily agreed.

“It will have to be a small turkey since the powers that be have advised against large holiday gatherings because of the corona virus. My only guest will be Cindy, my granddaughter, since you are already committed to having your meal with the Burkes.”

“I could cancel with them and stay home with you,” Neal offered gallantly.

“My goodness no, Dear Boy. It is beyond gauche to suddenly decline an invitation once you have accepted,” June said decisively.

“They’d understand,” Neal insisted, but June was firm and wouldn’t allow it.

~~~~~~~~~~

An hour later, June entered the green grocer/butcher shop on Neal’s arm. Both had masks on. The stylishly dressed matron carefully perused the fresh fowl in the cold case and chose a 10 lb. turkey. “There’s going to be plenty left over for sandwiches the next day,” she promised her boarder.

Neal carried June’s choice to the checkout with her by his side. There was a few people ahead of them, so they waited patiently. Even spaced 6 feet apart, it wasn’t hard to hear the loud verbal ranting taking place farther up ahead. An angry customer was lambasting a young girl at the cash register. Apparently, he had ignored the sign posted on the door stating the mandate of wearing a mask on the premises. He had chosen to boldly ignore the caveat, and when the young store employee reminded him, he let loose his vitriolic fury on her. He went on and on about how nobody was going to dictate anything to him. He knew his rights, and in America, citizens could exercise them. It was his health and he’d worry about it, not some government bureaucrat or some little chippy working a cash register. The object of his venom tolerated his abuse and rang up his purchase without another word, while those within earshot rolled their eyes and shook their heads in disgust.

When June finally drew near to the girl, she looked her in the eye and said in a clear, calm voice, “I’m so very sorry you had to endure that person’s rude behavior, my dear.”

“It’s okay,” the girl shrugged. “It happens a lot. I have to tell people they need a mask because it’s store policy. If I failed to mention it and my manager noticed, I’d be fired. People act like I make the rules and they take out their frustrations on me. I know this quarantine thing has everybody on edge, but I’m just doing my job and having to wear my own mask for 8 hours a day.”

“And you are performing your job extraordinarily well under the most stressful conditions,” June assured her as she paid in cash with an extra $50 bill added to the bunch of greenbacks.

“You overpaid, Ma’am,” the girl pointed out, but June quickly shushed her.

“Tuck that away for Black Friday Christmas shopping, Darling. Or perhaps, treat yourself to something nice because you deserve it.”

“Thank you,” the astounded cashier whispered.

~~~~~~~~~~

During the ride back to Riverside Drive, June was quiet while trying to organize her thoughts. Finally, she turned to Neal.

“I have lived a long time, Neal, actually decades and decades, during which time I have witnessed the very best and the very worst of what mankind has done. During my lifetime, I’ve seen prolonged wars, assassinations, genocides, and other atrocities as well as the advent of wondrous redemptive miracles. I always sustained a faith in my fellow human beings—an inherent knowledge that they would endure and rise above any turmoil with perseverance and dignity.”

“I’m assuming you’ve recently become a non-believer?” Neal said softly.

June sighed. “Now, I don’t wish to sound like a bitter old woman, but lately I have noticed that there seems to be a lack of human kindness among us. People now seem more ego-centric with a disregard for the most basic premise of decency toward each other. They want what they want because they feel entitled, and they are never loathe to make everyone aware of it. They actually shout it from the rooftops on social media sites, on the radio and television media, and, unfortunately, even in the hallowed halls of august governing bodies throughout our nation. Blowhards pontificate, as if they are some wise oracles with all the answers, and they turn a deaf ear to any opinion different from their own. I think it’s shameful.”

When Neal stayed quiet, June turned to her young friend and murmured. “I do sound like a crotchety old biddy, don’t I?”

“You are entitled to your opinion,” Neal smiled as he teased, “and you can even shout it from the rooftops, if you wish.”

June laughed. “You’ve made your point, Neal. I should dwell on the positive and not the negative. I have so many things to be thankful for. I am gratified that I live in a free country that tolerates those blowhards who can state their opinion without fear of retribution. I should be thankful that our great nation is slowly breaking down barriers so that everyone is truly equal in every aspect of their lives. I should be thrilled that there are ingenious scientists who seem to be on the very cusp of a protective vaccine for this new virus. And, most importantly, I should be very thankful that I have you in my life, Darling. I am truly a fortunate woman.”

“And I’m a very thankful man,” Neal said fondly as he reached over and squeezed June’s hand. 


End file.
